Black Blood Runs Scarlette
by PrincessDaydream77
Summary: Scarlette Abigail Black was abandoned as a baby, in the Black family home. When a second year boy claims to be her cousin, Lettie's world is turned into a rollercoaster which ends with the discovery of her answers...and her parents. But is that good?
1. Abandoned With A Kiss

Black Blood Runs Scarlette

Summary : Scarlette Abigail Black was abandoned as a baby, when her parents mysteriously disappeared. She was brought up by Andromeda Tonks, who found her abandoned in the Black family home. Eleven years later, Scarlette attended Hogwarts and was sorted into Gryffindor, when she found a best friend in a girl from her year, Ginny Weasley. But when a Slytherin boy from the year above tells her that he is her cousin, this leaves Scarlette searching for answers. She moves into Malfoy Manor, but just when she thought things couldn't get any worse, a mass breakout from Azkaban leaves her reeling, when she finally finds her answers...and her parents. But is that a good thing?

Disclaimer : All characters, except Scarlette, belong to the genius JK Rowling. All plot-lines belong to me.

Chapter One-Prologue

A black sheep was drifting through the Black family home of 12 Grimmauld Place. It was Sirius and Regulus' home, so Andromeda Tonks did not think that they would mind.

She had read _the Daily Prophet_ that morning to see the large headline of 'LESTRANGE MANOR RAIDED, DEATH EATERS ARRESTED'. Now, with her sister out of the way, Andromeda had thought that then was the safest time for her to collect some things that she had left behind when she eloped with her 'mudblood' husband, Ted Tonks.

She was, mercifully, pulled away from her train of thought by a muffled cry coming from an upstairs room. Andromeda had been making her way upstairs anyway, to reach her old holiday bedroom, but once she reached it, she continued down the corridor, towards the secret hiding place that she had once shared with her sisters and cousins.

The room brought back so many memories of her bitter childhood holidays at Grimmauld Place. Not good memories. The middle Black sister shuddered as she remembered her sister performing the Cruciatus curse on Sirius when he told Aunt Walburga of it's wearabouts. She still remembered his screams. She could feel them ringing in her ears. But she soon realised that some of the screams weren't coming from her memory; they were coming from a crevice behind the toy cabinet.

The woman removed the cabinet and bent down to see what was causing the cries. She was shocked at what she saw. This was the last thing that she would have thought there would be in a child's secret hiding place. For it wasn't someone who had been tortured or maimed by her deranged sister. It was a baby...Andromeda gasped, thinking the words that she would never say in the same sentance as Bellatrix. Her instincts told her that it couldn't be true, but it was the only rational explanation. Her train of thought was interupted yet again when she caught sight of a letter, enveloped in red, with black ink. Andromeda opened it and began to read. It read six words and a kiss;

_Scarlette Abigail Black. Treat her well. x_


	2. Welcome To The Family

Chapter Two

The living room of 12 Grimmauld Place was full of people, a dozen to be exact. They had all come to discuss what to do with the child. These people included Cornelius Fudge, Albus Dumbledore, Minerva McGonagall, Severus Snape and both Molly and Arthur Weasley, as well as two representitives of the Wizarding Adoption Board and two from the the Wizarding Child Welfare Board. The last two people in the room were Ted Tonks and Andromeda herself, who was still clutching the baby from behind the cabinet.

"Now, we are all here to discuss the welfare of this child. Can anybody shed some light on who she is? Mrs. Tonks, perhaps, seeing as you were the one who brought her to our attention."

"I found her here today, Minister, when I came to collect some of my old things."

"Mrs. Tonks, if I may ask, your elopement was ten years ago, am I correct?"

"Yes, Minister."

"Then why, may I ask, have you come today to collect your things."

"Well, you see, Minister, myself and my sister Bellatrix are not on good terms since my elopement. She comes here often and I did not want to find myself in a position where I were here at the same time as she was. I heard of her imprisonment today in _the Daily Prophet_ and I thought now to be a good time to come."

"And where did you find the child?"

"In the secret den that my cousins, my sisters and myself played in as children. She was hidden in a large crevice behind the toy cabinet."

"Does she have a name or a date of birth that we know of?"

"She is one day old, Minister, making her date of birth yesterday and there was a note with her."

"What did it say?"

Andromeda pulled the note from under her robes and read it aloud.

"' _Scarlette Abigail Black, treat her well. x' "_

"Scarlette Abigail Black?" questioned the Minister.

"That was all the note said, Minister. Whoever wrote it must have been in a hurry."

"Indeed, now the real question is, where can we put the child that she will certainly be safe?"

"Hogwarts is the first place that Voldemort would look for the child, if he ever returned." stated Albus Dumbledore.

"Yes, that is correct. It simply is not safe enough." added Minerva McGonagall.

"Snape?" asked Fudge.

"I agree completely, Minister, it is a preposterous idea." sneered the Potions Professor.

"So what are our other options?"

"We could put her into the adoption system?" suggested one of the representitives of the Wizading Adoption Board.

"No disrespect, sir, but if the mother who left their child here had wanted her to go into the adoption, why would she take so much care in concealing her?"

"Mrs. Tonks does have a very good point. However, if the child should remain within her family, then there are two options. Yourself...or Mrs. Malfoy."

"No!" exclaimed Andromeda.

"Andromeda, Narcissa is a good mother to Draco and you know that." said Ted, speaking for the first time.

"It's not Narcissa that I'm worried about, Ted, I know she's a good mother. I'm worried about Lucius. We all know he's an ex-Death Eater! She's staying with me!"

"Andromeda..."

"I can cope, Minerva! I raised Nymphadora without my family, I can do the same for Scarlette, please just give me a chance!"

"Maybe it would be for the best, Cornelius." said Minerva, with just a hint of reluctance in her voice.

"Very well, Mrs. Tonks, yourself and your husband may keep the child, under the condition that she must attend Hogwarts at the age of eleven."

"Of course."

"Then it is settled."

Andromeda and Ted embraced each other warmly, carefully supporting the small baby in Andromeda's arms.

"Welcome to the family, Scarlette Abigail Tonks."


	3. Make Me Proud, Lettie

Chapter Three

September 1992

"Goodbye, Scarlette, darling."

"Goodbye, Mum."

Scarlette Abigail Tonks was standing on platform 9 3/4 with her adoptive mother, Andromeda and sister, Nymphadora, at 10:57am, on September 1st. Andromeda was fussing over her, pulling her robes straight and checking that she had absolutely everything in her suitcase, to which Scarlette felt like she had said 'yes' at least a hundred times.

"Mum, for the last time, I've got everything."

"Yeah, Mum, get off the girl's back. Ignore her, Lettie, she's a bit of a drama queen when it comes to Hogwarts."

"Yeah, I had noticed."

Nymphadora suddenly leapt forward and embraced her little sister, pulling her as close as she could and kissing her wavy brown locks, before pulling away.

"You'll never know how much I'm gonna miss you, sis!" exclaimed Dora.

"Same." replied Scarlette, tears forming in her eyes.

"Hey, don't cry. Listen, you get on that train, you get sorted, you make a lot of friends and you kick some Slytherin butt, okay?"

"Um, excuse me, I'm a Slytherin(!)"

"Yeah, but...you were a nice one, whereas she's up against Draco Malfoy."

"What's wrong with Draco Malfoy?"

"What's right with him? Now, you make me proud, okay?"

"Okay." cried Scarlette, before giving her sister one more quick hug, pecking her mother on the cheek and running to the train.

She settled down in a compartment with another first year, a small girl with flaming red hair. The girl immediately turned towards her and gave her a beaming smile.

"Hi! My name's Ginevra Weasley, but everyone calls me Ginny. What's yours?"

"Scarlette, Scarlette Tonks, but most people call me Lettie."

"Cool name!" Ginny said in awe, though her manner turned sympathetic when the train began to pull away. She caught sight of a woman with bubblegum-pink hair running along the platform, waving at them.

"Who's that?" asked Ginny.

"That's my sister, Dora. Bye!" she yelled through the glass, waving like mad until her sister was out of sight. It was then that she let the tears begin to fall.

"Hey, it's okay, I've never been away from my family either. I mean, it's alright for me, I suppose, because four of my brothers are here, at Hogwarts. I can't imagine what it must be like for you."

"I've never been away from my sister before. My mum and dad, yeah, a couple of times, but not Dora. I don't know how to survive without her."

"I'll help you. We'll get through this. Together."

"Best friends?"

"Forever."

And they were. For now.


	4. Bravery and Discovery

Chapter Four

A/N : The conversation between the Sorting Hat and Scarlette is in italics. Hopefully, you can tell which is which(!)

"HUFFLEPUFF!"

The Sorting Ceremony was well underway and Emily Thomas had just gone bounding up to the Hufflepuff table, laughing contently.

"Scarlette Tonks." declared Professor Minerva McGonagall.

Silence fell over the Hall. Scarlette looked around at the house tables. The Gryffindor, Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw tables were all looking at her expectantly, but the Slytherin table, or at least a moderate measure of it, were glaring at her, as if she were something disgusting that had been found on the bottom of their shoe. All except one. A small boy, with cold grey eyes and platinum blonde hair, was looking at her in confusion and interest. She tore her eyes away from the boy and approached the stool, where Professor McGonagall placed the old battered hat on her head.

_Well, well, well. Scarlette Tonks. Another Black descendant. I go decades without Sorting your family, then two come along at once._

_What do you mean?_

_Your cousin. A Slytherin, I believe._

_Is it the one with platinum blonde hair, which kept staring at me?_

_Oh, yes._

_But my mother doesn't have any siblings._

_Andromeda Tonks, she has two. Bellatrix Lestrange and Narcissa Malfoy._

_But why didn't she tell me?_

_I don't know. Now, down to business. Hmm, extremely bright. A Ravenclaw? No, there's something deeper than that. Not Hufflepuff. You remind me of one of your mother's cousins._

_Sirius?_

_Yes. Oh, I know where to put you._

"GRYFFINDOR!"

"WHAT?" yelled a voice from the Slytherin table, who Scarlette guessed must have been the Malfoy boy, her cousin.

Scarlette barely looked at him as she ran over to the other Gryffindors. She sat in a daze until the last child was sorted and Ginny Weasley bounded over to join her at the Gryffindor table.

"What was that all about? With Malfoy?"

"How do you know Malfoy?"

"I don't, but he's in the same year as my brother Ron. You know, the one that was being screamed at by McGonagall for being late."

"And for destroying a tree that's been on these grounds since before you were born, after being beaten up violently by said tree?" asked Scarlette, in a brilliant impression of Professor McGonagall.

"That's the one." replied Ginny, before they both burst into fits of giggles.

They were still giggling as Ginny's eldest brother who attended Hogwarts, Percy, lead them up to the dormitories. Though she was laughing, she still had an unnerving feeling that she was being watched. And she was right.

Later that evening, Draco Malfoy was sitting at a desk in the Slytherin common room, writing a letter to his mother, regarding a certain Scarlette Tonks. If Scarlette Tonks was Andromeda's daughter, then Narcissa Malfoy would know.


	5. Written In The Stars

Chapter Five

Narcissa Malfoy was sitting in the library of Malfoy Manor, reading a Muggle romance novel, titled 'Jane Eyre'. Lucius did not like her reading Muggle fiction, but she found it rather amusing that if the girl wanted to get something, she didn't just go and buy a wand. 'I mean, they aren't that expensive.' she thought. However, her thoughts flew out of her head as fast as the tawny owl flew in through the open window. She recognised the owl to belong to her son, Draco. She swiftly but gently pulled the letter from the owl's grasp and sent it down to the Malfoy owlery. Tearing open the letter with a serpant-headed letter knife, she pulled the parchment from the envelope and began to read.

_Dear Mother,_

_I am writing to you hoping to find you well. I am also writing to inform you of some rather odd events at the Sorting Ceremony tonight. There was a girl named Scarlette who was sorted into Gryffindor, but her surname was Tonks, your sister's married name. I just wondered if you knew anything about._

_Give my love to Father and the family,_

_Draco._

Narcissa put down the letter and sat back, pondering it's wording. Could this girl be Andromeda's daughter? She had an idea, grabbed a piece of parchment and began to write.

The next day, Draco was sat at the Slytherin breakfast table when the post came. An owl dropped a letter in front of him. Draco could tell his mother's handwriting a mile off. He opened the letter and began to read.

_My dearest Draco,_

_I am writing to you hoping to find you well and content, for I am certain that you would have written to me if you were not. On the matter of Scarlette Tonks, this is most peculiar. I suppose that this girl must be your cousin as surnames are not repeated for more than one family in the Wizarding World, as I am certain that you are aware. Please make contact with her for me, as I should like to meet her, even if she is a half-blood. I may, with your father's permission, make an exception for this girl, as we may be able to convert her to our cause before it's too late._

_All my love,_

_Mother._

Draco smirked to himself as he observed the girl, laughing and joking with the Weaslette, Weasel, Pothead and, just to top it all off, the Mudblood know-it-all, Granger. She clearly didn't know who to associate with and who not to give the time of day, but he and his mother would soon fix that.

A/N : Just a short one. More coming soon.


	6. Not My Baby Girl

Chapter Six

Scarlette was sitting in the Dungeons, messing around with Ginny and a funny Ravenclaw girl called Luna Lovegood, who everyone called Loony. No idea why(!) They hadn't stopped messing around when Professor Snape flounced in, his black hair bouncing on his shoulders and came to a stop in front of his desk, glaring at the three pupils.

"Tonks, Lovegood and Weasley, you will report for detention at eight o'clock this evening, don't be late. I do not take kindly to tardiness."

"Yes, sir."

"Yes, sir."

"Sorry, sir."

"Speaking of which, Miss Tonks?"

"Yes, sir?"

"The Headmaster would like to see you in his office immediately."

"But, sir..."

"Now!"

Scarlette gathered up her things and headed out the door, whispering to Ginny and Luna that she'd see them later. She continued walking until she reached a large stone gargoyle. She paused in confusion, before noticing a letter attached to it's wing. It read;

_Miss Tonks, good to see you. Don't worry, you aren't in trouble, I just want to talk.  
P.S. I hope you enjoy sugar cubes, I do!_

'How is that supposed to help me?' thought Scarlette. 'Hold on, sugar cubes, why would that help me?'

"Hmm, sugar cubes." thought Scarlette, this time out loud, which, to her surprise, caused the stone gargoyle to begin to twist and ascend, bringing with it a set of spiralling stone steps. Scarlette caught on rather quickly and jumping onto one of the swiftly moving steps.

At the top, she found a large wooden door. As there were no other paths to take, other than the gargoyle which would take her back down again, Scarlette saw no choice but to knock.

Seconds later, upon hearing the Headmaster's summons, Scarlette entered the room and closed the door behind her. Dumbledore stepped out from behind his desk and approached her.

"Good afternoon, Miss Tonks."

"Good afternoon, Professor."

"Would you like a sugar cube?"

"Erm, no, thank you, Professor." she blushed, not really used to the headmaster's eccentric ways. "Erm, Professor, I don't want to be rude, but what am I doing here?"

"Ah, yes, you wouldn't know. A boy in the second year has claimed to be your cousin. Now, I want to wait for a couple of people before I continue this conversation."

"Yes, sir."

"Just as a matter of interest, Miss Tonks, do you know who this cousin is?"

"Yes, sir. Draco Malfoy, sir. He's a Slytherin second year."

"Indeed. Now, your Head of House shall be attending, as well as your cousin, your mother and your aunt."

As if they had been waiting for these words, Minerva McGonagall, Andromeda Tonks and Draco and Narcissa Malfoy entered the room and sat on Dumbledore's instruction.

"Now, I think we all know why we are here. It is concerning Miss Tonks here and her living arrangements outside of term time. Now, Mrs Tonks, Scarlette has been living with you for eleven years, correct?"

"Yes."

"But now, Mrs Malfoy, you think that Scarlette should come and live with you during school holidays, correct?"

"Yes."

"Hold on, I'm sorry to interupt here, Professor, but why should I go to live with my aunt if I live happily with my parents?"

Narcissa Malfoy gasped at the girl's comment and looked triumphantly at her elder sister.

"You never told her?"

"Told me what?"

"I thought it was for the best, we don't even know who it was."

"Who?"

"She is as much my responsibility as she is yours."

"Can someone please tell me what's going on?"

Everyone in the room turned to the shaking first year, who's tie was darkening as the tears streamed down her face. Andromeda reached out and attempted to pull her into her arms, but the Gryffindor stepped straight out of her grasp.

"Lettie, I'm so sorry."

"Why? What for?"

"You know I've always told you that you're my baby girl."

"Yes?"

"Well, it's not quite true. I've always loved you and I always will, but you're not."

"Not what?"

"That's the thing. You're not my baby girl. You're someone else's. Lettie, you're not my daughter."

A/N : I split this chapter into two to raise the tension. Please review!


	7. Miss Black?

Chapter Seven

A/N : Again, repeating the last line of the last chapter, so you don't get lost. Enjoy!

"Not what?"

"That's the thing. You're not my baby girl. You're someone else's. Lettie, you're not my daughter."

The room fell into a shocked silence, yet the only people who looked shocked were Scarlette and Draco.

"What?"

"I found you in Grimmauld Place the day after you were born. You were hidden in a gap between the wall and the toy cabinet, with only a note saying your name and to look after you."

"But...why didn't you tell me?"

"Because I thought that it would be for the best. We didn't know who your parents were and no-one has ever come looking for you, so we thought you'd be safer and...happier if you thought that we were."

"Yeah, well, you thought wrong. You should have told me, I had a right to know."

"Lettie, I-"

"No! I don't want to hear it. I don't trust anything you say any more. In fact, I can't trust you for anything ever again."

"You don't mean that, Miss Tonks." chipped in Professor McGonagall, not meeting my intense gaze.

"Yes, Professor, I do. Well, you're not my mother, so I technically don't have to come back to you for Christmas."

"But what will you do?"

"I suppose I'll just have to stay here."

"You could come to us?" suggested Draco, looking anxiously towards his mother for confirmation. "She could, couldn't she, Mum? I mean, she is family."

"Well I don't know Draco, we have so much to do. Your father has work, who'll take care of her?"

"I will."

"Hang on a moment, why can't you take care of her, Little Mrs Perfect?" questioned Andromeda, her voice laced with sarcasm.

"Well, if you must know, I am trying to single-handedly organise my parents' funeral." snapped Narcissa, tears threatened to spill over her eyelashes.

"Mother and Father died?" asked Andromeda, seeming to forget the reason why they were there.

"Not that it's any of your business, but yes. They both died in the holidays and seeing as I'm their only daughter who is not currently in Azkaban, it's up to me to organise it. Anyway, that is beside the point. We came here to discuss Scarlette, and I think that most of you will agree that it is up to her where she lives outside of term time."

"I absolutely agree, Mrs Malfoy." said Dumbledore. "So, Miss Tonks, where would you like to live?"

"If they'll have me, I would like to live with my aunt Narcissa and her family. Also, Professor, I would be extremely happy if everyone would refer to me as Miss Black from now on. I've been lying about who I am for long enough. Now Professor, I am extremely sorry, but Professor Snape will be setting us an essay for today and I should like to find out as much as I can about the subject."

"Of course." At the dismissal from her Head of House, the young Gryffindor bolted from the room. However, she did not run in the direction of the dungeons, but towards Gryffindor Tower. When she reached the dormitories, she collapsed onto her bed and cried.

"Why?" she wailed, when Ginny entered the room and pulled her into an embrace. "Why couldn't I just be happy?"

"It's a blip. It'll all work out, just you wait. It'll all be fine in the end."


	8. Shattered Memories

Chapter Eight

It was December 19th, the last day of Autumn term. Ginny had already gone home, though her brother, Ron, a second year, was staying at school, in order to keep his friend, Harry Potter, company. Scarlette was standing alone in her Gryffindor dormitory, slightly regretting her rash decision to go and live with the Malfoys. Still, at least they hadn't lied to her for her entire life.

Grabbing her trunk and owl, Scarlette made for the door. She took one last look around the comforting common room, her namesake colour ascented with gold, before passing the Fat Lady, who wished her a happy holiday, and walking straight into Draco, who had evidently been waiting for her, but hadn't anticipated her arrival and toppled to the ground beneath her just as the Fat Lady swung shut.

"Blimey, Scarlette! What the hell are you doing?"

"It's not my fault that you have the balance of an infant on a pole vault!"

"Well...it's not my fault that you have the eyesight of a...fruit bat!"

"Is that the best you can do?"

"Yep."

"Then this is going to be a long holiday. Come on, we'll miss the train!"

Ninety minutes later, the snake and the lioness stepped onto Platform 9 3/4, collected their trunks and stepped through the fireplace on the end of the platform, the green light obscuring their surroundings, then bringing them to a grey stone entrance hall.

"Welcome home, Lette." smiled Draco, nudging her playfully in the shoulder.

"Yeah, I guess so." breathed Scarlette, the cold beauty of it still rendering her almost speechless.

"Draco, is that you? Scarlette?" called Narcissa Malfoy, though from where in the house Scarlette really couldn't tell. She suddenly came into view at the top of the stone staircase, making her way with a hasty grace to embrace both her son and her 'niece'.

"Come along, it's Christmas Eve, we have to get the Manor ready for the ball."

"Mum! I've got better things to do with my holiday than hanging mistletoe over the ears of unsuspecting house-elves!" whined Draco.

"No arguing. Draco, can you show Scarlette to her room?"

"Yes, Mum."

Draco grabbed the young lioness by the hand and began to pull her along the endless stone corridors of Malfoy Manor. He stopped when they reached one of the many guest rooms, pushing the door open with one hand, the other around Scarlette's shoulders. She gasped at the grandeur of the room, not expecting it to be as elegant as the rest of the house, purely because it was a bedroom. Draco, sensing her discomfort, tightened his grip around her shoulders, pulling her closer to him.

"Don't worry, Lette, you'll get used to it after a while. You're home now, with us. You're never going back to that blood traitor's family again."

Draco gave her shoulders one last squeeze and swaggered off down the corridor, presumably to help his mother string tinsel down the banisters.

Scarlette's hazel eyes followed the blonde down the staircase, lingering on the spot where he disappeared until she heard the slamming of a maple door echoing back towards her. She drew in a deep breath, stepped into the room and closed the door behind her in one fluid movement. She wasn't really enjoying the spacious manner of her new room, as she had to walk at least ten paces to reach the foot of her bed and had a strange feeling that once night and blackness enveloped the room, her acrophobic instincts would kick in.

Shaking her head, Scarlette reached for her trunk, unclasped it and began to remove her books and home clothes from it. She was reaching past her robes to retrieve her copy of 'Hogwarts: A History' when the pile of books in her lap slid down on top of them, landing with a clatter and a loud crack. Reaching down into the pile, Scarlette felt something cold and solid between her fingers. She reached her other hand into the trunk and managed to pull the object free. The sight of it broke the young Gryffindor's heart.

The smashing sound had come from a rainbow coloured picture frame, which contained a picture of Ted and Andromeda, arm in arm in front of the legendary Leaning Tower of Pisa, smiling happily at Nymphadora, her celebratory red, white and green hair blowing in the breeze, mixing with Scarlette's brunette waves. Scarlette stared at the droplets of water streaking down the crack lines, the tears continuing to fall as she saw that the crack ran right beside Nymphadora's cheek, separating Scarlette from the rest of the family. That was a crack that couldn't be fixed with a simple _Reparo_. It was a shadow that couldn't be lifted. It took Scarlette a few moments to realise that the shadow cast from the window wasn't figurative. Looking up from her school things to the windowpane, she gasped, leaping to her feet and opening the window, allowing the battered tawny owl to fly down to her dresser.

"Hello, Meta!" cried Scarlette, stoking her ruffled feathers and taking the parchment from her beak, throwing in a fruit drop in the letters place. She unfolded it and began to read.

_Dear Lettie,  
I'm not sure if I should still be calling you that, but I wanted to speak to you like I used to, under the circumstances. I'm going to get straight to the point, Lette; I miss you, and so do Mum and Dad. Mum's been locked in the house for two weeks now; she's barely left her room since you went. She knows that she shouldn't have lied to you, but she thought that it was the best thing to do.  
Please come home, Lette.  
Lots of love,  
Dora._

Scarlette put the parchment onto the dresser beside Meta and laid her head onto her pillow, contemplating what to do for the best. It barely took her a few seconds to leap to the dresser, pull out a quill and scribble four words onto the back of the letter, holding it out to Meta, who took it in her beak and flew off into the fading sunlight.

Scarlette flew to her trunk, repacking her books and clothes into a big heap, her own written words ringing through his ears.

_Dora,  
I'm coming home._

A/N: Happy birthday to me! I am updating most of my stories today to celebrate. Now be nice and give me a brilliant birthday present, a review!


	9. Dreams and Reality

Chapter Nine

Three years had passed since Scarlette had left Malfoy Manor and come home, bringing her to the end of her fourth year at Hogwarts. The incidents of her first year had been all but forgotten, shrouded in a cloud of mist that haunted her dreams. But that dream wasn't the worst. Oh no.

Scarlette had one nightmare that was recurring, every night with no idea why something so simple could cause her to wake at twilight in a screaming fit of terror, only Nymphadora herself being able to comfort her.

The nightmare itself wasn't frightening at all. Blurred portraits whizzing along a corridor, soft red lips kissing her tiny cheek, a mass of midnight curls receding from her vision, to be replaced with a closing darkness, a flash of bright emerald and a piercing scream. Then she awakened, the scream echoing only as her own.

But the most terrifying thing about these dreams was that the face of the woman was one she recognised so clearly, but didn't. And that scared her more than anything.

Scarlette had been attending secret meetings with Harry, Hermione, Ron and Ginny, as well as a large group of Gryffindor, Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw students for the majority of the year. The group itself had been nicknamed the 'DA', standing for Dumbledore's Army and regular meetings were held in the Room of Requirement on the Seventh Floor. The main practice of the group was Defence Against the Dark Arts, disarming and stunning spells in particular.

All good things came to an end, though, as Umbridge found out through Marietta Edgecombe, friend of Cho Chang, a sixth year Ravenclaw. The whole group had been captured and brought to her office by the Inquisitorial Squad, a group mainly consisting of Slytherin fifth years, including Draco and his cronies.

Then the worrying things started happening, as Harry began to have more visions than before. They were mainly visions of people he cared about, starting with Mr. Weasley. That vision turned out to be true, so when he had a vision about his godfather, Sirius, being tortured by Lord Voldemort, he, Ron, Hermione, Neville, Luna and Ginny headed straight for the Ministry, leaving Scarlette behind with Nymphadora, as they didn't have time to stop and find her.

It was mere hours after this that the doorbell rang at the Tonks' house and Mad-Eye Moody burst through it. He looked wildly around the hallway and the first person he spotted was Scarlette.

"Scarlette!" he exclaimed, "I need your sister to come to the Ministry!"

These words caught Scarlette's attention and she paused in her position at the top of the stairs, her head flipping round towards him.

"Why? What's happened?" she asked.

"I don't have time for this, Scarlette. Go!"

She went. Mere minutes later, Nymphadora came bolting down the stairs with her coat. Se sprinted for the door, then suddenly stopped.

"Oh, shoot!" she exclaimed, turning to Scarlette. "I can't leave you on your own! Mum would kill me!"

"Then let me go with you!" cried Scarlette, a hint of hope in her voice.

"No fear! I'll leave you with Sirius." decided Nymphadora, dragging Scarlette by the hand and Apparating to Grimmauld Place. She knocked the door loudly and hurriedly Disapparating with Mad-Eye. The door opened and a bemused Sirius caught Scarlette's gaze.

"I don't know, so don't ask me. All I know is that they've gone to the Ministry and Dora left me here."

"Right, who are?"

"The Order. They've gone to help Harry and the others."

"Harry?!" Sirius asked, his voice suddenly a little more concerned.

"Yeah. And Ron, Ginny, Hermione, Neville and Luna." Scarlette answered, struggling to keep her voice level.

"What on earth possessed them to go to the Ministry?!"

"Harry thought they'd kidnapped you. He went to save you."

"Oh, for the love of Godric Gryffindor! Right, come on, we're going too. They're your best friends and you have a right to save them."

"That's what I've been trying to tell Dora all morning."

Sirius bolted out of the doorway, yelling something both physically impossible and rather rude at Kreacher before slamming the door, holding onto his young cousin's arm and spinning.

The pair arrived at the Ministry a few moments later and ran straight for the room which Scarlette had learnt from her stay at Malfoy Manor contained a concentrated part of the Veil.

They saw the teens immediately and ran to help them, Sirius forcing Scarlette to stay hidden behind a barrier. The battle went on for quite a few minutes, until Sirius took his eyes off of Scarlette for a moment and she bolted right into the middle of the action.

"Stop or she dies!" The echoing scream from Rabastan Lestrange brought the battle to a halt as all eyes turned to the man, who had a jagged dagger held flush against Scarlette's throat.

"Leave her alone, she's only a child! Scarlette!" screamed Dora, trying to fight off Remus, who was holding her back. But it wasn't that scream that surprised everyone. It was the other.

"Stop! Rabastan, stop!" The scream came from none other than his sister-in-law, Bellatrix Lestrange. She was staring at Scarlette with disbelief clear on her face. Rodolphus walked over to her, gently putting his arm around her waist.

"I don't believe it." she breathed.

"What?" asked Lucius, clearly becoming impatient with his sister-in-law.

"It's her. Scarlette. Roddy, I've found her." the raven haired woman breathed, making direct eye contact with an equally dark haired man, who still had his wand at Hermione Granger's throat.

"What are you talking about? You've never met me before!" exclaimed Scarlette, still gasping from the air restriction from the blade.

"I met you first." replied Bellatrix, a smile creeping onto her face.

"That's not possible. The first person that met me was Andromeda Tonks when she found me in that alcove, the only way that you could've met me first was if you were...Oh no."

"Hello, Scarlette." smirked Bellatrix. Suddenly the penny dropped and Scarlette could barely breathe the word.

"Mum."

A/N: CLIFFHANGER AND REVEAL! Please review!


	10. Scarlette Abigail Lestrange

Chapter Ten

A/N: Just wanted to say thank you to my only reviewers, Sithlord8665 and Gryffindork101. Come on guys, please review!

Time seemed to have stopped. Death Eaters, Aurors and students alike stood still beside each other, gaping at the Lestranges, all four of them. It was Rabastan that finally broke the awkward silence.

"Bellatrix, what on earth are you talking about?"

"It was a secret, Bastan. I only told Rod and Cissy, no one else even knew."

"Narcissa knew about this?" exclaimed Lucius, a storm cloud passing across his features.

"Yes, she did and before you go off on one, Malfoy, I made Cissy take an Unbreakable Vow not to tell anyone, so you don't need to worry about your precious little wife lying to you."

"Why did you do it?" came a whisper from across the room, where a shellshocked Scarlette was staring at her newfound family, tears streaming silently down her face.

"What?"

"Why did you leave me?"

"Darling," Bellatrix began, pausing when she heard a sharp intake of breath from in front of her. "darling, when I had you, I'd already committed quite a few crimes in my lifetime. The Aurors were coming for me. I couldn't keep you, so I hid you. I had no choice. I wouldn't have bothered if I knew you'd end up with little Mrs. Mudblood."

That did it for Dora. She lept for Bellatrix, wand at the ready, but Malfoy was too quick, Stunning her and sparking the fight once more. Green and red mingled in mid-air and Scarlette suddenly decided to keep her head down at last. After all, the fight was between her best friends and her parents, which most teenagers could say. However, not many could say that their father had fired the Cruciatus curse at their best friend's brother, missing him by half a hairs breadth. With her mother's aim, however, Sirius wasn't so lucky.

The screams were still echoing through her ears as she was pulled abruptly to her feet and through a darkened corridor and out into the Atrium. Harry Potter came up behind her and attempted to use Scarlette's mother's favourite curse on her, but she was rescued by a terrifyingly pale man with an almost skeletal face that Scarlette assumed must be Lord Voldemort himself, while Bellatrix grabbed Scarlette's arm just in time for them to Apparate away.

Just as the Tonks' arrived in the hall.

The sight of the birth mother of the girl that she'd raised disappearing with her was enough to send Andromeda crashing to the ground, screaming and sobbing. Ted bent down and wrapped his arms around her, but it offered precious little comfort. She had lost her little light to the darkness.

Scarlette Abigail Lestrange.

A/N: Sorry about the tiny chapter, I just wanted to give you the answer. I know how annoying it is when you get the answer to a question and have to wait ages for it to be explained. Please, please, please review!


	11. Acceptance and Love

Chapter Eleven

A/N: Here's the next chapter. No reviewers this time. Please review, guys, I need to know how I'm doing.

Scarlette had never thought that she would return to Malfoy Manor, but the next sight she saw was the cold stone hall of her aunt and uncle's home. A sudden chill ran through the air as Bellatrix knelt down to the ground beside her master, thanking him on bended knees for saving her, but he swept out of the room before she had a chance to speak the third word. She remained on her knees for a few moments, as if certain that her master would return, but raised herself to her feet when certain that he wouldn't. Scarlette was shaking on her feet as she watched Bellatrix cross the room towards her, flinching as she raised her hand as though afraid her mother may strike her. In fact, she was amazed when all she did was brush a curl from her forehead, looking slightly worriedly at the gash on her daughter's head. Her surprise was matched once more as her mother broke the silence.

"I'm sorry." she whispered, stroking the Gryffindor's brunette curls. "Oh, Scarlette, I am so sorry for all that I've done to you."

"It's alright, Mu- Bellatrix. I understand." the elder woman pulled away a little at the sound of her first name coming from her daughter's lips. Scarlette answered her question before she could ask it.

"I've been calling someone else 'Mum' for my whole life. I didn't even know I had another mother until three years ago. I do want you to be my mum, but...it's going to take some time to get used to being around you."

"I understand that, Scarlette, and I appreciate that you've been living with my darling sister and her little Mudblood family for your childhood, however hard that may be for me to comprehend, but I want you to accept me as your mother, if you can do that for me. It is all I want, and I speak for Rodolphus as well, to have you back in our lives. So, can you accept us?"

Scatlette remained silent for a moment, pondering on Bellatrix's words, before she shocked the both of them. She seemed to be about to leave the room, but instead knelt back down beside the woman and wrapped her arms around her neck, holding her close. Bellatrix seemed to turn to stone for a moment, frozen in uncertainty, but she soon relaxed and wrapped her arms around her shaking daughter, a contented smile lighting up her face for the first time in fifteen years.

"I love you too. Mum." sighed Scarlette.

Later that night, Scarlette was tossing and turning in her sleep. Images were filling her subconcious, images of the people who could have been called her family. Her 'parents', Dora, Ginny, Luna, Sirius, everyone she used to know and love. Then something else appeared. A man. A man with unnaturally pale skin, skeletal face and snake-like features. A well-aimed jet of bright green light and the different people fell to the floor, their bodies limp and their eyes unseeing. The man merely laughed as they fell, his lipless mouth curving in an evil smile. He spoke a few words under his breath and all his Death Eaters appeared in a circle around him, including her mother and father, her uncles, Rabastan and Lucius, and, most frighteningly of all, Draco. However, her attention was drawn suddenly to the searing pain in her lower left arm. She rolled back her sleeve and instantly saw the wriggling black skull and snake burning as it moved. Scarlette's mouth opened, her breath returning to her for a moment and she cried out.

Scarlette woke up screaming in her bed. She sat up, panting and gasping as she tried to calm herself down. She lept up from her bed and reached for her thin, white dressing gown, tying the sash before setting off down the corridor. She stopped for a moment outside the master bedroom, listening to the sobs coming from within. Something within Scarlette made her heart ache as she listened to her aunt so devastated. Her Uncle Lucius had been encarcerated in Azkaban just after she left with her mother and her Aunt Narcissa was broken.

With a heavy sense of guilt, Scarlette passed the door seperating the two of them and continued down the corridor, up a few of the winding staircases until she reached a large mahogany door. Pushing it open quietly, she slipped through the door into a green and silver themed room, making an effort to ignore the quiet tapping of Aries the owl in his cage. She approached the bed quickly and shook the occupant awake. He awoke with a start, his eyes searching wildly around the room until they fell upon Scarlette.

"Lettie?" he asked sleepily, trying to make out the figure through the darkness.

"Yeah, it's me." she whispered back.

"What's the matter, Lette?"

"Nothing really, I just had... well, a nightmare." admitted the younger girl, her gaze suddenly directed to the grey flagstoned floor. The boy lifted up one side of the covers to allow Scarlette to lie down. Once they were both comfortable, the boy wrapped his arm around her.

"What happened?" he asked her.

"I just saw the people I used to know. The Tonks', Ginny, Luna, Sirius, just... people. Then... _He_ appeared. He killed them all and then he just... just laughed. Then he called his followers and my parents came and your dad, my Uncle Bastan and... and you. Then my arm started burning and I saw that I had... I had the mark too." Scarlette finally broke down sobbing in his arms.

"I'm sorry, Draco. I shouldn't have turned up here, I'm just being stupid."

"No! Lette, don't be so stupid, you were right to come here. It's alright." soothed Draco, rubbing his cousin's back in comforting circles.

Scarlette calmed a little before trying to get up, but Draco's arm wrapped around her waist to stop her.

"Dray, it's fine. I'll just go back to bed, I'll be fine."

"You're staying here, Lette. That way I know you'll be alright."

"Okay." sighed Scarlette, laying back down. That night, Scarlette slept in Draco's arms, and she didn't have a single second of nightmares.

A/N: I'm not really sure where the last bit came from, I just really wanted to show Lettie's relationship with someone besides her mother as well and Draco popped into my head. I'm not sure if I'll make it a romantic relationship or just a close one as family. Let me know what you think!


	12. Reminiscing on Family and Friends

Chapter Twelve

A/N: Thanks to my reviewers, EleKat, DHKroeger18 and Sockerbitch.

The time had finally come for the pair of cousins to return to Hogwarts. In some ways, it was a relief to recieve some sense of normality and routine, given how hectic and fearful their summer holidays had been, especially now that Scarlette's Uncle Lucius had been reprimanded for his actions as a Death Eater, not to mention that her own nightmare had come true. Draco had been enducted into the Death Eaters alongside his aunt and uncles, not to mention the mission that he had been given, which, although he refused to tell her the exact details, she had managed to gather from the look of fear on his chalk-white face was extremely dangerous, far too dangerous a task to be given to a sixteen-year-old boy.

However, Scarlette found that she slightly envied Draco in a way. At least the boy was fortunate enough to have the oppurtunity to have his mother wave him off at the Platform, whether he passed it up or not, even if, in public, he brushed his mother's affections over his shoulder like a mere speck of dust. Scarlette didn't even have the option, her own mother's affection shown only within the cold grey stone of Malfoy Manor. It was at times like these when Scarlette truly began to miss Andromeda.

Scarlette loved her mother, of course, and she wouldn't have changed her for the world, but she couldn't help thinking how much simpler life had been as the second daughter of the Tonks family. There had been very little expected of her, other than to try her best to succeed, whereas she now had the shadow of her family casting her own life into the gloom.

Still, Scarlette had broken away from her cousin, leaving him to go to the Slytherin compartment, while she had sat down alone in an empty Gryffindor one, thinking about whether or not she would have friends to return to in the Great Hall.

She had remained alone until they reached the school, sharing a carriage with a few giggling seventh-year Hufflepuff girls, and sat alone at the table. The seats in her vicinity were all vacated as soon as she sat down, the occupants moving down to the end of the table, as far away from the girl as possible. However, a further shadow was cast over the girl. But this one wasn't figurative. It was literal.

Scarlette looked up toward the source of the shadow and was delighted to see both Ginny and Luna smiling down at her.

"Ginny, Luna, you're here!" she exclaimed, her smile becoming beaming as the girl sat down beside her.

"Of course we are, we're here to see you." smiled Luna, acting as if it were slightly obvious. Ginny just smiled, which made Scarlette feel so much better.

"But...won't Ron be annoyed with you for talking to me? I mean, he's not exactly my mother's greatest admirer. And what about poor Neville?" Guilt was starting to cloud Scarlette's mind. Surely both Ginny and Luna's reputations would be severely dented by openly having a conversation with a Death Eater's daughter.

"Yes, Ron and Neville really hate your mother, maybe even for a good reason, but that has nothing to do with you. You can't help who your parents are, so we shouldn't judge you for it." announced Ginny, nodding her head to show how strongly she felt.

"So, we're friends again?" asked Scarlette, her nerves clearly showing as they shook her voice.

"Lettie, we never weren't."

A/N: I know it's quite short, but I think that's all that needs to be said for now, as the next big shocker will come in the next couple of chapters. As always, please review!


	13. The Beginning of the End

Chapter Thirteen

A/N: Thanks to DHKroeger18 and EleKat for reviewing.

The Christmas holidays, for the first time, brought mixed feelings to Scarlette's mind, as her emotions were split in two over her return to her aunt's home at Malfoy Manor. Her heart was telling her that the return was a brilliant thing, that she would get to see her parents again and spend Christmas with her family. But her mind was saying that she was about to walk into the biggest trap of her life. However, as it always did with the young girl, her heart won the battle.

The train ride was still extremely nerve-wracking, though. Ginny and Luna deliberately attempted to strike a few short conversations with her, trying to take her mind off the situation at hand, but no matter how many times Scarlette talked about Potions homework, Weasley's Wizard Wheezes and the Holyhead Harpies, Scarlette couldn't stop the overwhelming sense of fear rising in her mind.

However, Scarlette had spent so much time worrying that before she knew it, they had arrived back at King's Cross Station. She said her farewells to Luna and Ginny on the train, knowing full well that Draco would not take kindly to her saying goodbye to her Blood Traitor best friends in front of him. After passing on a message of goodbye for Ron, Hermione and Harry and quickly bidding farewell to Neville, Scarlette ran down onto the platform. After frantically turning her head for about two minutes, a voice resounded behind her that almost made her head spin with all the conflicting emotions she felt.

"Oi, Little Red Riding Hood. Come on, we've got to go." shouted Draco, beckoning towards her.

"Alright, alright, calm down, Dragon Boy." Scarlette retorted, thinking that, as her cousin had made fun of her own name, she would make fun of his.

"Fair point. What were our parents thinking?" Draco laughed.

"Mum's side, they've been doing it for centuries!" Scarlette exclaimed, as they walked into the fireplace at King's Cross, emerging once more in the cold foyer of Malfoy Manor.

The room seemed, at first, to be empty, sending a slight chill down the spines of the two people occupying it, until a third voice cut through the shadows.

"Welcome home, darling." spoke a low voice, slightly scary, yet still so comforting to Scarlette.

"Hello, Mum." Scarlette smiled, running to embrace the woman. True, Bellatrix was cold to most people, but when it came to her daughter, she was anything but, and embraced the girl as well.

"Hello, Scarlette." she replied, pulling away after a few more moments. "Now, sweetie, I know you've just got home, but your presence is required in the drawing room in an hour." A slight low gasp came from behind Scarlette, which she knew came from Draco. However, she unfortunately also knew what her presence was required for. And it could not be good.

"Alright." Scarlette agreed quietly, fearing that, should she say anything else, she would lose her voice altogether. Bellatrix inclined her head and walked across to the drawing room stairs, walking up quickly and confidently. Scarlette's confidence, though, was decreasing by the moment. She turned around and stumbled forwards a little, tripping over her own feet and tumbling to the ground. However, instead of the cold stone floor she had expected her body to crush to, she felt strong arms wrap around her waist, her head being pulled to a toned chest.

"Lette, it's going to be alright." Draco whispered to her. With these words, Scarlette felt that she could finally let her tears fall, beginning to openly sob into his Slytherin robes.

"No, it's not, Dray!" she cried. "How can it be?!"

"I don't know, Lette, but it will. I know it will." He knew his words may not offer much comfort to the girl, as they were not true at all, but, in truth, the Slytherin boy was trying to convince himself as much as his Gryffindor cousin. Nevertheless, it seemed to help her, as she stood and began to climb the stairs herself, leaving Draco leaning against one of the marble pillars of the Entrance Hall.

Scarlette descended the stairs once more about three quarters of an hour later, to find Draco still waiting for her. He turned to face her automatically as he sensed her presence, and his mouth dropped open as he did.

The young girl had changed out of her Gryffindor robes and was now wearing a black dress, the hemline of which ended at the midpoint between her hip and knee. The sleeves were a short black lace, woven into the pattern of roses and nightshade, the interweaved symbols of the Rosier and Black families respectively, which Draco suspected either her mother or his had chosen for the girl. She wore ribbon-laced black leggings, to match the bow tied at her back and the look was finished with black kitten heels. Her hair tied loosely across one shoulder and, from Draco's point of view, she looked absolutely stunning.

"Wow!" was the only word he could truly manage to summon from his throat. For the first time in his life, Draco Lucius Malfoy had been rendered utterly speechless. This fact actually seemed to give Scarlette a little more confidence, as although she only spoke a few words, she spoke them with a great deal of strength.

"You'd better go on up. They'll be waiting for you."

"They're waiting for you too, Lette. That's the only reason that they're here." Draco countered. "You'll-"

"Be right up there behind you. You know me, Dray. Always want to make an entrance."

"Well, that's one thing I can't disagree with that!" Draco exclaimed, turning on his heel and slipping through the drawing room doors with a subtle smirk. Scarlette smirked back in his direction as she walked towards the door behind them, differing from the boy by stopping just outside the door. The young girl took a few deep breaths, gathering her thoughts and her courage together.

"It's what Mum and Dad want." Scarlette sighed in a whisper. "It's what they want for me."

And with those words, Scarlette Lestrange stepped past the drawing room doors to her destiny.

A/N: My first ever chapter 13! So happy! Please review, even just a word, good or bad, just so I know how I've done.


	14. Burning Truths

Chapter Fourteen

A/N: Thanks to EleKat and dream-on-sunday, as always, for reviewing!

The Burrow blurred and came quickly into view through the green flames of the fireplace. Scarlette tumbled out from the flickering light, losing her balance quickly and falling straight onto the floor.

A slight chuckle came from across the room at that point and, before Scarlette could quite register what was happening, a brown-haired woman hurtled across the kitchen and threw her arms around her. The young girl froze entirely, completely unaware of who the woman was, but after she pulled away slightly to look at Scarlette, the girl herself pulled the woman back into her embrace, recognising her at last.

"Oh, Dora, I've missed you!" Scarlette cried, holding her arms firmly around her former sister's neck.

"I've missed you, too, Lettie!" Dora laughed, rocking the girl slightly from side to side in her arms. They pulled away after a couple of minutes, slightly coloured, to find every person in the room staring at them. The gaze was intense that everyone in the room began to laugh, including the two themselves.

"How are you?" Dora asked, pulling the girl over to the sofa and sitting her down on it, sitting down beside her herself.

"Alright, I suppose." Scarlette answered with a shrug, while her cousin raised her eyebrow slightly.

"Sure?" Dora persisted.

"Of course I am." Scarlette answered confidently, her voice giving away little to nothing about her current fears, as she felt an intense stinging pain in her left forearm. She ignored it for a few moments, her face remaining passive and clear, before the pain intensified and she could not conceal the yelp of hurt that escaped past her lips.

"Lettie, what's wrong?" Dora cried almost immediately, her mouth opening wide in shock and fear as Scarlette hunched over in her chair, her right hand clutching tightly at her other wrist.

"Lette?" Ginny questioned urgently, walking hurriedly across the room towards her best friend, while Scarlette put up a hand to try and stop the fuss.

"I'm fine." Scarlette insisted weakly, her hand still clutching desperately at her wrist.

"No, you're not. What's the matter?" Molly pitched in, also coming over towards the girl.

"Oh, I SAID I'M FINE!" Scarlette exclaimed in annoyance.

"Lette! Please just show me." Dora cried in desperation, silencing the room once more. The elder woman's voice was filled with hurt and worry as she pleaded with the younger. Scarlette seemed to pause for thought, just for a few long moments, before she rolled up her left sleeve, tears streaking and marring her face as she did so. A chorus of horrified gasps filled the room, swiftly followed by the sound of the slamming door, as Scarlette fled the house.

Just a few minutes later and Scarlette was lying motionless in the garden of Grimmauld Place, her cheek rested upon the freezing flagstones of the path, already feeling so numb that the added cold had little effect on the girl. Only one thought echoed through her mind. '_What have I done?_'

A branch suddenly cracked, causing Scarlette to whip her head around to face the source, her eyes flaring with shock and alarm, before mellowing slightly at the sight of the intruder.

"There are worse things in life, Lette, believe me." reasoned the intruder.

"Are there?" Scarlette scoffed, disbelieving of the man.

"Oh, I don't know." he sighed, settling down to sit beside her on the garden step. "You could've been a werewolf."

"Yeah, I suppose." Scarlette responded with a saddened smile, glancing quickly towards him before looking back towards the hedgerow at the distant end of the garden path. An awkward silence followed, something that the girl was more than used to in her own home.

"Scarlette?" the shaggily-clothed man asked.

"Yes?" she responded, with very little enthusiasm. After a short pause, he continued.

"Did you choose the Mark, or were you forced?" The question silenced the young woman, whose facial expression had become quite distant, her eyes focused on a spot of colour in a secluded hedgerow.

"What do you think?" she sighed, a saddened smile edging its way onto her face for not the first time that evening.

"Well-" Remus began, but Scarlette cut him off.

"They didn't force me, Mum and Dad. It was my decision to make, but... well, I didn't really have much of a choice. I didn't want my family to suffer any more, not after all they've been through. So I took it. I took the Dark Mark." she finished, a single tear escaping her eye, though it barely made it past her cheekbones before she wiped it away. Remus, however, still saw.

"I understand." Remus said, gently putting a comforting arm around her shoulders.

"Then you'll know how important love is in wartime." Scarlette replied, her voice clearly suggesting something more than the words she spoke, something not missed by the former Hogwarts professor, who withdrew his arm from her shoulders and hung his head.

"Ah." was the only word that the man seemed able to form, though others followed soon after. "So, she's spoken to you, then."

"By blood or not, Remus, she was my sister for fourteen years. I know her almost as well as I know myself."

A long silence followed once more, as Remus considered Scarlette's words, a fact that didn't surprise the brunette in the least. However, the pause was not as long as she had anticipated, as Remus spoke once more, in a far smaller voice than she had ever heard from him.

"I'm too old for her, too poor and too dangerous."

"But she doesn't care!" Scarlette cried in response, her expression showing how much she believed in her statement.

"Scarlette, it's still true!" Remus exclaimed at the girl.

"And it's still true that Dora's in love with you!"

Suddenly, an intense pain washed over the girl and she had to bite down hard on her lower lip to stop herself from screaming. Her efforts had little success, though, as Remus still noticed her distress.

"Is he calling you?" Remus asked with urgency.

"No." Scarlette answered in a quiet breath, the confusion evident in her voice. "It's like... it's burning. It feels like it's almost on fire."

"Different from before?" Remus hastily continued.

"Yeah. Last time, it was sharp, but quick. Almost like..." The girl's throat went suddenly dry, as both she and the elder man shared a terrifying thought.

"Almost like a warning."

Both leapt from the perch on the cold stone steps, a terror-stricken glance shared between the two as they did so. Suddenly, Scarlette held out her arm for Remus to take, an action which was not missed by him, though not understood either.

"Scarlette, what are you doing? You're only fifteen, you aren't old enough to Apparate."

"Not Apparition, exactly. More of a smokescreen."

"What?!"

"Remus, just do it!" Scarlette snapped, the urgency of the situation getting to her. She softened her voice slightly as she realised how obnoxious she sounded. "Please."

With a slight smile and sigh, Remus took the proferred arm and, with a strange tugging feeling not dissimilar to Apparition, they shot into the air, twisting and turning within a cloud of midnight smoke.

When they reappeared, the pair found themselves stood outside the Burrow once more, in exactly the same spot that each had disappeared, just a quarter of an hour earlier. However, as soon as his head was cleared from the smoky haze, Remus turned to Scarlette, his mouth open slightly in shock.

"No, not Apparition, but pretty close. At age fifteen, I'm impressed." Remus admitted with a smile.

"Just a trick of the trade." Scarlette returned with a smirk.

"A trick learnt from your mother, I expect? She always was an expert at getting the upper hand, even on her own family." Scarlette frowned slightly at this statement, unsure of Remus' meaning in the words, though his voice seemed humorous enough when he spoke them.

"Yeah, but-" Scarlette began, but was cut off when a huge explosion sounded, another following almost immediately after. The pair whirled around to see the large house engulfed in flames, flaring up and illuminating the night sky with their orange glow.

"Oh, no!" Scarlette cried in anguish. A few short moments later, she sighed in relief, as Molly and the twins ran from the door.

"Where are the others?" Remus asked, abandoning Scarlette and running towards the matriarch of the Weasley family.

"They left. Harry... he ran after her, then Ginny ran after him. Arthur and Tonks went to get them back before they get hurt." Molly explained, her eyes not leaving the blaze, which was reflected in the tears on her cheeks.

"Tonks?" Remus questioned, suddenly seeming more worried.

"Yes. I couldn't stop her, I couldn't stop any of them. I tried, Remus." Molly cried.

"I know. They'll be alright, Molly." Remus said, patting her shoulder lightly in a comforting manner before stepping back over to Scarlette.

"Do you really think they'll be alright?" Scarlette questioned in a whisper, both her tone and expression showing her vulnerability. Remus saw this and, once again, a comforting arm was laid across the girl's shoulders.

"Of course they will, Lettie. Have you ever known Nymphadora to give up on anything?" he commented with a cheeky laugh.

"Not once." she answered, a minute smile edging its way onto her lips.

"Determination, Lettie, that's what it is. One of the only redeemable features certain members of the Pureblood inner circle have. It's in your blood."

"Yeah, the best things are." Scarlette replied, but she was no longer really listening. In fact, she paid no notice when Harry, Arthur and Ginny returned, nor even when Dora did. Instead, her gaze became fixated on a set of diamonds, sparkling in the firelight. Ensuring that no one was watching, the girl bent down to the ground, winding the string of jewels around her fingers. On closer inspection, the gems, alongside at least three dozen black diamonds, formed a necklace on a fine silver chain. Settled in the middle lay a large, teardrop-shaped emerald, which was soon wetted by one of Scarlette's own as she realised the identity of its owner.

"Oh, Mum." she cried, her voice near non-existant. "What have you done?"

A/N: So sorry about the (really) late update, but here it is. Please review, so I know it's been worth the wait, or not.


	15. One Chance Too Many

Chapter Fifteen

A/N: Thanks to dream-on-sunday and Mioniexx for reviewing.

The heat of the fire still remained on Scarlette's skin, even as she leaned against the cold stone walls of Malfoy Manor several hours after the event.

In truth, she had been standing there ever since she had returned home, waiting for her mother to give her the answers she desperately needed. Alas, the woman had been in a meeting when she arrived, and was still there, though the meeting had long since ended.

At last, she could bear the wait no longer and opened the door just a crack. She was truly thankful that the aged wood did not creak, as the four people inside the room were deathly silent. Three of them were standing, while the other knelt bent over on the ground, her quiet cries the only sound in the darkened chamber.

Trying half-heartedly to identify the occupants of the room, Scarlette's attention was caught and her heart was near broken as she saw that the crying woman was her own Aunt Narcissa, and that she was being interrogated by a terrifying calm Lord Voldemort. Further behind the man, if he could be so called, she could just make out the platinum locks of Draco Malfoy and, finally achieving her goal, the wild raven curls of Bellatrix Lestrange.

Having waited for a couple of hours already, Scarlette was in no mood to linger by the door any longer, even willing to brave the wrath of Voldemort to see her mother. Luckily, though, she did not have to face punishment, as the moment she placed her hand upon the door to push, Draco raised his head and met her gaze, his eyes flashing with confusion and fearfulness. At the subtle shake of the blonde's head, Scarlette was tempted to stop, but did not do so until she caught sight of him tapping her mother on the arm, subtly drawing her attention to her daughter.

Just a few moments later, Scarlette was sat on the floor of her freezing cold bedroom. In truth, she could hardly feel her fingers, but was stubbornly refusing to light the fire in the grate, the early evenings flames still dancing across her vision, taunting her as she remembered the pain that they had caused to people close to her. She was so lost in her memories, in fact, that she didn't notice the door of the room click shut behind the figure who had just entered, slowly padding her way across the room to sit behind the young brunette.

"Three hours." Scarlette began, her voice almost void of emotion.

"I came as soon as I could." the figure replied, moving to wrap her arms around Scarlette, who moved abruptly out of the woman's reach, snapping her head round to glare at her.

"Three hours, Mum!" she cried, her voice at least an octave higher than it normally was. "And you didn't even notice I was gone!"

"I thought you were still upstairs, darling, up here."

"And with all that's been happening in the world, all the danger we've been living in, you didn't even think to check?" Scarlette snapped back, her voice decreasing rapidly as the sentence went on, 'til it was near non-existant by the final word. Bellatrix noticed this and made another attempt to wrap her arms around her daughter, once again being pushed away.

"Scarlette, I-"

"Don't bother, Mum, I know where you've been." the girl stated flatly, to which an exasperated sigh escaped Bellatrix's lips.

"How?"

"I was there. I was there at the Burrow when it burnt. I saw Molly, Ron, Fred and George running for their lives and I saw Ginny's face as she watched her home razed to the ground. And it was all your fault."

"The Death Eaters on the mission used a smokescreen. How do you know it was me that burnt the house down?" Bellatrix questioned her daughter, evidently trying to escape the truth.

"Because I found this." Scarlette simply replied, reaching into the pocket of her jeans and pulling out the string of black diamonds from the Burrow. Bellatrix's face immediately softened a little.

"Don't even try worming your way out of this one, Mum. I trusted you. I trusted you and you let me down."

"Darling, just give me another chance. Please-" Bellatrix begged, but Scarlette was no longer listening.

"No, Mum! This isn't the first time you've done something like this. You're out of chances. You have been for a long time now." Scarlette stated quietly, almost as if she was having the revelation as she spoke.

A long silence ensued after the declaration, in which Bellatrix's gaze directed itself to the night sky, in which her only comfort had been found for the fourteen years of hell she had endured. The stars had always given her strength, and did so again at that moment.

"So, what happens now?" the woman asked, having to bite her tongue to prevent herself from adding the usual endearment to the end of her sentence. Scarlette sighed.

"I still love you, Mum. No matter what, I can't stop loving you. But I will never trust you again. Never."

"But, darling, I-" Bellatrix started to plead again, the endearment slipping out in her desperation to make her daughter listen.

"No, Mum. When I was born, you had to make the choice. Me or Voldemort. Well, let me tell you this. There is only one person in this family that chose me over Him, and it sure as hell wasn't you."

With those final words, Scarlette stood up and walked from the room, her feet carrying her aimlessly through the halls of the freezing mansion, the tears streaming down her face almost turning to ice.

As soon as she reached the informal lounge, the first room she found to have no chance of being interrupted, she slipped inside and locked the door, finally letting the sobs she'd concealed for so long free from her throat.

However, just as she had curled into the foetal position on the sofa, tears soaking through the emerald velvet, a sound came from the direction of the mantelpiece, the flames flickering in the grate turning to the side as they moved along with the wall.

In a matter of moments, the fireplace was no longer visible, only the shadows the flames cast, as a dark passageway was revealed, with an equally shadowed figure standing in it. Scarlette rose from her seat, her hands and legs shaking as she approached the figure.

"What are you doing here?" she asked, with an audible tremor in her voice.

The figure gave no answer, merely stepped into the light.

A/N: *gasp* Who could it be? Please review, so you can find out!


	16. Why?

Chapter Sixteen

A/N: Thanks to .7 for reviewing.

The dim firelight the figure had stepped into had illuminated his distinctive features, revealing his identity in an instant. Scarlette was a little taken back, but relieved all the same as she discovered the identity of the man.

"What are you doing here?" she repeated, this time with no hint of fear.

"I came to find you." came the simple reply.

"Of course you did. Otherwise you wouldn't have. Just because I'm not a Slytherin, that doesn't mean I don't know how to avoid being found by someone I don't want to find me. I have picked up a couple of tricks from this family."

"I don't doubt that." the man laughed, his trademark smirk adorning his face once again.

"Good." Scarlette stated, her tone having an unsubtle note of finality. The man took little notice though, striding towards the sofa and sitting down on it, laying an arm across the backrest, causing Scarlette to stiffen slightly, though why when he was so familiar to her remained a mystery.

"So…" he began, pausing to carefully select the words to follow. Two minutes later, having utterly abandoned that structure, he bluntly began to question the girl. "Why are you crying, then? Family troubles?"

"How did you guess?" Scarlette scoffed, the sarcasm evident in her tone of voice.

"Because it's this family." he replied simply, shrugging his shoulders slightly. The brunette almost smiled at that, but restrained herself from doing so. She was still upset after all.

"You could say that." she replied, harshly wiping a tear away. Unfortunately, the edge of her nail caught her eye, bringing another batch of tears flowing down her cheeks. When he saw the glow of the water in the firelight, the man reached out, brushing the tears away from her face. To Scarlette's surprise, his hand lingered, tracing the edge of her face tenderly, even though there were no tears left to wipe away.

"What's happened?" he asked her, bringing his hand down from her face and taking her own hand in his. In response, Scarlette raised her line of sight, meeting the cool grey of the man's eyes.

"Mum. She went to the Burrow, and set it on fire. I was there. She could have killed me, but she didn't even notice I was gone. She didn't even check. Then, when I got back, she was in that meeting with the Dark Lord. But you know that anyway."

"Yeah." the man replied, nodding his head ever so slightly. "But I still can't believe that she would do this. Not to you, anyway."

"Can't you?" Scarlette asked, her voice quite monotonous, though subtly laced with tears. "You know what she's like."

"I suppose." the man conceded, with a slight inclination of his head to enforce his agreement. "Still though…"

"Still what?" Another question escaped the girl's lips, slightly amusing the other.

"I'm not sure. It's just that… I'm shocked that even she would behave like that. She's your mother." Scarlette scoffed at this remark, gazing into the flames of the fireplace, which had righted itself when the man had left the passage.

"Try telling that to her." The cynicism in the girl's voice was so clear that it was almost painful to hear. "In her eyes, she's a Death Eater first, a Death Eater only, and anyone who isn't directly serving the Dark Lord can rot in hell for all she cares."

A single tear once again falling down her cheek, Scarlette turned to see that her impassioned speech had left the man struck dumb. This was rather a surprise for the brunette, as she had hardly ever seen the other so quiet, but she was too absorbed in attempting to read his expressions to really take note of this.

"Are you really surprised? Truly?" she questioned, though it felt to both as if it were the hundredth time she had done so.

"I shouldn't be… but yeah, I am. From what I've seen, she loves you just as much as the Dark Lord." For once, Scarlette did not scoff at the point he made.

"How do you know?" she questioned, silencing him once again. Upon seeing the look of confusion on his pointed face, the younger elaborated on her question. "How do you know that she loves me as much as Him? How can you tell?"

"I'm not quite sure. She just seems to act the same way towards you as my mother does to me. To my eyes, that shows that she loves you just the same as she loves the Dark Lord. Maybe even more."

"Well, I definately doubt that!" the young woman stated, though the nicety of the phrase warmed her heart.

"I don't. She'd be mad not to love you. You're the nicest, kindest, smartest, most beautiful person I have ever met." Once this second phrase was ended, Scarlette could feel tears surfacing in her eyes. No one had ever said anything so kind to her before, and the emotion she was feeling was spilling over.

"Thank you." she just about managed to breathe, a beaming smile on her face.

"You're welcome, Miss Lestrange, but you know that I speak only the truth." Scarlette laughed at this, knowing that he was deliberately putting it on now, but not really seeming to care too much. The emotion was still present in her eyes, and she felt as if her heart was about to burst out from her chest.

It seemed that the young man beside her felt the same way, as he had turned to face her, little but adoration in his eyes, and had begun to lean towards her, cupping the side of her face with one of his pale, smooth hands. The young Lestrange met him in the middle, fireworks exploding behind her eyes as her lips pressed against his. It was the most amazing feeling in the world and she never wanted it to end.

Of course, it had to end, as all things did, though she was still reeling from the kiss long after he had swept out of the room. Then reality hit her. This couldn't go on.

'_Oh, why did it have to be him_?' Scarlette cried out in her mind. '_Of all the boys in the world, why did I have to fall in love with Draco Malfoy_?'

A/N: Who saw that coming?! Please review and leave your thoughts on this, I really appreciate them.


	17. Smiles Hiding Secrets

Chapter Seventeen

A/N: Thanks to .7 for reviewing.

For the rest of the night, Scarlette lay completely awake in her bed, barely able to close her eyes to blink, let alone to sleep. A thousand thoughts were buzzing through her head like bees in a summer's garden. A thousand thoughts about one particular young man.

Since the moment it had ended, the girl had thought of nothing else but the kiss. The feeling of his lips on hers, the jolt of electricity that passed through her skin, into her very blood and soul. It was a feeling that had been so wrong, and yet so very right.

'_What is going on with me lately?'_ the brunette questioned herself, shaking her head from side to side, as she continually doubted her own mind. '_Why can't anything just be simple?'_

Scarlette could have laughed out loud at that question the moment she thought it, due to how infantile she sounded. Life was not simple, she of all people should know, and this was not the most complicated thing in the world currently, as the cloud of war was cast over Wizarding Britain. A kiss with a boy she knew so well was not important in the current climate.

The war was drawing ever nearer, that she knew, as Death Eater meetings were becoming more and more centred around Harry Potter. The time was drawing near.

Suddenly, from somewhere below her bedroom, the hum of emotional voices sounded loudly. A couple of the voices were instantly recognisable to her, but one was only a distant memory. As she remembered with a gasp who the voice belonged to, Scarlette lept up, not caring that it was the middle of the night, and running out of the door.

It took quite a while to find the drawing room in the pitch darkness of the early morning, but as she eventually did, the girl gasped once more. Standing just ten feet away, embraced in his wife's arms, was a fatigued, dishevelled Lucius Malfoy.

Scarlette had never really seen the man as her uncle before, given that the last time she had seen him, she had been ignorant of her true identity. But now that she knew, something inside of her viewed him differently, saw a warmth to him that she had never seen before. A side of him that she much preferred to the Death Eater she had used to know.

Behind the couple, beaming ear to ear, was Draco. Though he had not shown the fact as much as his mother had, the boy too had missed his father immensely, and the relief on his face at the man's return was unmistakable. '_It's good to see him smiling again_.' she thought, a smile surfacing on her own face at the thought.

Just as that thought passed through her mind, Scarlette looked up from where she had been looking at the floor. Warm russet eyes met stormy grey, as the young woman's gaze met the blonde's, his dazzling smile now directed at her.

Seeing Draco's concentration change, it was not long before the two elder Malfoys turned to face the same way, to see the cause of such a change.

"You're here, then." Lucius commented, rather rudely, upon catching sight of Scarlette stood in the doorway.

"For your information, I live here." Scarlette replied, not at all less rudely than the man had. He did not take this very well, as his eyes narrowed in anger, the anger being spat out as he spoke.

"You will not speak to me that way, you insolent little-"

"Lucius!" Narcissa exclaimed, by way of a warning for him, to stop, before he said something he would live to regret. Surprisingly, the technique was effective, as the eldest blonde seemed to visibly calm, as if the hand his wife had placed on his shoulder was draining the anger from his body.

"I'm sorry." he said almost immediately, though Scarlette was not quite sure, at the time, as to whether the apology was directed to her or to her aunt. "I overstepped the mark a little, Scarlette, and I apologise."

It took a moment for the unexpected response to sink into the young Lestrange's mind, and even when it did, it took a moment for her to consider the answer she would give.

"That's alright." she replied in a whisper, still not sure whether the man was genuine, or whether she was, for that matter. "I understand. It is your house, after all."

"And you're welcome in it. You are the daughter of my wife's sister, and so you are family. As long you are less your mother's daughter than you look, we'll get along fine." Lucius told her, a tiny smile on his face as he did.

"Lucius!" the blonde woman exclaimed once again, though her tone was laced with laughter. She was obviously used to her sister being slandered in jest. Scarlette was becoming more accustomed to the feeling, as well. "She is my sister, you know."

"Yes, I do know. Unfortunately, I didn't when I got engaged to you, and I had to wait until she hexed me until I collapsed against the wall of The Three Broomsticks to find out!" the man responded, his joking tone unbelievably different to that of the harsh voice he had used just a minute ago. Each member of the quartet burst into fits of laughter.

The sound of their joy was utterly alien to the cold stone walls of Malfoy Manor, after all the misery that the previous months had brought, and the happiness still remained a dozen minutes later, when only she and Draco remained in the room. Besides this, the atmosphere was still that of a little awkwardness, given the events of the previous night.

"Are you alright?" Draco asked the girl, breaking the silence of the drawing room. Scarlette nodded, unwilling to meet his gaze now they were alone.

"Why wouldn't I be?" she asked in response, her tone showing how impertinent she felt the question to be.

"I just thought, because-" the boy began, but the brunette held up a slender hand to stop him.

"I don't care what you think. What happened was a mistake, Draco. I shouldn't have given in to my emotions like that. It was stupid." she reprimanded herself, tears surfacing in her eyes even as she spoke.

"But, Lette. Lette, I-" the man stammered, but Scarlette cut him off once again.

"Well, I'm sorry. But I don't feel the same."

With those words, Scarlette walked away from the room, her head still reeling from the biggest lie she had ever told.

A/N: Please review, pretty please!


	18. A Lie Too Many

Chapter Eighteen

A/N: Thanks to Elora Lestrange and for reviewing the last chapter.

Once again, Scarlette sat, silent and alone, in her bedroom, watching the twilight sky as the moon drifted by her window. '_This is becoming quite a habit for me.'_ the young woman thought, smiling slightly as she did so. '_Though I suppose it isn't strange that I would find comfort in the stars, considering the family that I come from.'_

The Black family had always been named for stars, or so Scarlette had been told. There were only three known exceptions to this rule. One of them was her aunt, Narcissa, who was named for a flower, the leaves of which could leave a man numbed, or even dead, with a single touch. The second was Nymphadora, the name of whom still pained the brunette to think of, as she had not seen her since the fire at the Burrow. She was named for a doll Andromeda had been gifted as a child, the hair of which had been the same bubblegum pink colour that her namesake child favoured. The third exception was Scarlette herself. She had been named for her mother's favourite colour, though also, knowing her mother, she was probably also named for the colour of blood, something both her parents' hands had been coated in.

Despite not being named for one, the stars had been a steadfast guide for Scarlette. Shining in their multitudes, scarce to be counted at all, the balls of light had always been a comfort to her. That was until she saw one constellation in particular, a curving line of light forming a serpentine figure beside the midnight moon. Draco.

Even without his presence in the room, the stars above her reminded the girl of all that she had lost that night. '_Everything I wanted, everything I dreamed of, gone in a minute. All this pain, just because I told a single lie.'_

As Scarlette truly realised this, tears began to slip down her face, her lips trembling as she began to cry out to the stars above her. '_What have I done?'_ she thought, desperately clutching at the pillow beside her, as if it were a buoy floating by in the middle of the ocean, and she had fallen from a sinking ship. '_I wanted him for so long, and now that I have him, I've lost him.'_

The tears continued to stream from her eyes as the young girl began to sob, muffling her cries with the pillow so that no one would think she was doing so. The last thing she needed right now was for somebody to walk in.

Nevertheless, a few minutes later, someone did. Though she did not see anyone enter the room, Scarlette could hear, through the sound of her sobs, the click of the door shutting behind the figure that had entered.

When the figure perched down on the edge of her bed, still the young girl did not raise her head from the pillow it was resting on, not wishing to see who the person was. However, the moment the figure started to speak, Scarlette realised that she did not need to see to know who was sat beside her.

"What's the matter, Scarlette?" asked Rodolphus, patting his daughter gently, yet awkwardly, on the back. Since she had returned to the family, almost a year ago now, the young woman had mainly been in the company of Bellatrix, and so her father had not been able to speak to her a great deal, and never without the presence of his over controlling wife.

"Nothing. Dad, I'm fine." she responded, hardly even sounding convincing to herself, let alone to the man she spoke to.

"Listen, Scarlette, I may not have known you for long, but I am your father. I know you well enough to know that you are not alright." he told the girl, stroking the side of her arm gently, as if trying to comfort her.

"I obviously don't take after Mum, then." Scarlette said, sniffling slightly as she did so. At the look of confusion on her father's face, she continued. "Mum is a much better liar than I've ever been."

"In a way, I'm glad about that, Scarlette." Rodolphus told her, lowering his head for a moment before raising it again. "Lying can destroy even the best of people, their relationships and their careers. The less you are like your mother in that respect, the less likely that will be to happen to you."

"Yeah, I suppose so." she replied, with a slight sigh. It was nice to speak to someone who did not think that her mother was a devil, nor that she should not be spoken against by anyone, as not many people like that existed. In fact, there were probably only two, and they were both sat together on her bed.

"So, why are you crying?" he asked, wiping a tear from beneath her eye. "And don't even try to say nothing again, because I will sit right beside you until you tell me."

"In that case, I might as well." she responded, wiping the tear tracks from her cheeks. "I just… I said something, to someone that I care about, and now, I think that I am going to regret what I said for the rest of my life."

"What did you say?" Rodolphus questioned her, laying a hand on her shoulder, in the same paternal way that Lucius had done to Draco that very same evening. "Surely it can't have been that bad."

Scarlette paused for a moment, as if she was unsure whether she should tell him the truth or not. After all, though he may be her father by blood and she may have accepted him as such, but she knew nothing about the man, other than that he had been imprisoned for the first fourteen years of her life.

"A boy tried to tell me that he loved me, and I said that he didn't feel the same." she admitted, another tear streaking its path down her face. "I lied to him, Dad, and now he'll go and find someone else."

"Scarlette, trust me." Rodolphus told his daughter, after a short moment of silence. "If he truly loves you, and he would be mad not to, then he won't be able to find anyone else. He'll try, but then he'll come crawling back, still madly in love with you. Just you wait and see."

"Yeah, you're right." the brunette told her father, leaning into his embrace and placing her face over his shoulder. "At least, I hope you are."

A/N: Hope you enjoyed. The next chapter will be another important moment for Scarlette, and for her family. Please review!


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